Nicholas Chapet
Early Life Chapet was born on September 7, 1943, at the Chapet Family Château in Bordeaux, France to a strict middle class family. His mother, Marion Renier., who they would call "Mary-Jacqueline" was a hard-working but ill-tempered housewife. Her interaction with her children was behaviorally strict, and child-protecting responsibilities sometimes were left to his father, Emmanuel, who occupied himself with her homemaking duties and managing family difficulties. The Chapet Family was on the verge of becoming poor due to the Great Depression in France. Emmanuel, who was Chapet's Father was a french military officer won three gold medals during the WWII period and began to raise war bonds for his family's savings. During the bomb attacks in the Normandy landings of 1944, The Family was forced in hiding and to moved to Monte-Carlo in Monaco and officially resided there after 1945. Chapet's mother and father had Dutch and Italian parents. Marion had taught her children to be physically educated which led to Nicholas' brothers and younger sister being homeschooled. Years After the Family moved to Monaco in 1945 after the war ended, Marion focused on being a housewife until all her children were of school age, although she wasn't very fond of the royal family of Monaco or the rich children who resided in Monaco for her sense of being harassed and called a "commoner". Nicholas had one older brother, Jean-Pierre who they nicknamed "John". a younger brother, Charles, and a younger sister Sophie. The children were raised in Monaco but the oldest was born in the same Château in France. Becoming Prince Consort of Monaco While Chapet was busy with his studies an old friend of Marion who lives in Monaco asked if it was okay if Nicholas watered her flower garden and she accepted. While there, he was invited to participate in daily chores at her house, then King Giuseppe II of Monaco who came to the woman's flower garden decided to check the place and stay for talks. However he eventually bumped into Princess Valentina, of Monaco the oldest daughter of Giuseppe II whom would one day become, the sovereign queen of the Principality of Monaco, at the Prince's Garden. He met her at the Royal Flower Garden of Monaco after she bumped into her on July 15, 1954. At the time of her initial meeting with him, she was dating who would have been the Queen's future husband and cousin Prince Oscar, of Monaco. After a year-long courtship tendencies with family feuds, Princess Valentina married Chapet in London, England on March 1961. The Napoleonic Code of Monaco and the laws of the Roman Catholic Church necessitated two ceremonies – both a civil ceremony and a religious wedding. However Prince Oscar, of Monaco would not allow the royal wedding to take place and demanded to have his right as heir to to the throne but the option was rejected. with Prince Oscar, of Monaco was forced to give up on his relationship to Queen Valentina and the throne. Nicholas Chapet became prince Consort of Monaco and eventually the future king after Giuseppe II's death. The 700 guests included several friends and relatives including Nicholas' mother Marion Reiner, his father Emmanuel, his father-in-law Giuseppe II of Monaco and his wife Princess Martha, his brother-in-law Prince Maxwell, Prince Oscar's younger sisters Princess Amelia and Princess Irene, his older brother Jean-Pierre, his younger brother Charles, his younger sister Sophie and many others. Donald Darling, Jr. was invited but did not attend. Chapet and Valentina left that night for their honeymoon cruise on the royal family yacht.